It's not always easy, but Spike Lee understood how important it is. To drive home the point, he made a whole movie out of it: Do The Right Thing.

Crystal Stalvey believes in doing the right thing, too. "I found this precious dog on the side of the road hit by a car," she told us. The dog, a German Shepherd, was unable to move. He had no choice but to wait. Would someone help? Or would he die a slow and tragic death?

The answer was clear. Crystal did the right thing. "We couldn't just leave him there," she said. "We didn't want him to suffer."

Even though he wasn't theirs, the Stalveys picked up this bloody dog and drove him to get emergency veterinary care. They suspected the dog's fate was grim. But Crystal wanted him cared for nonetheless.

But after a careful examination, the vet had a different story for the Stalveys. It appeared that the dog had belonged to someone. Aside from his injuries, he was healthy. His hip was out of place but he could make a full recovery.

Obviously, the animal clinic did not want to put down a perfectly healthy dog. They recommended she talk to her own vet about getting the dog the medical care he needed at a price she could afford.

Crystal was shocked that the dog was still alive, much less that he was healthy. But she was quite agreeable to taking Sam, as the kids called him, to her vet. The emergency clinic only charged Crystal for the morphine that was used twice to keep Sam comfortable during the night.

On the way to her own vet clinic, Sam whimpered in pain and fear as she drove.
Crystal's vet needed x-rays to see what was going on with Sam's hip. And they needed to staple a wound. The cost was more than Crystal could pay. But the vet's office worked with her to find some funding sources, including The Mosby Foundation, to help Sam recover from his injuries.

In the meantime, the Stalveys posted flyers everywhere, trying to find Sam's owners. They called the Humane Society and went door-to-door, but no luck. We were impressed with the lengths Crystal went to help a dog that wasn't her own. "I was trying to do a good thing and show my girls that we all need to help as much as we can," (Marcia, pls pull quote) Crystal said. "Because someday it could be our dog and we would want someone to do the same for him."

Do the right thing. This story has all the elements of that wonderful counsel. Everyone pitched in to do the right thing for Sam. Crystal and her family, the emergency clinic, Crystal's vet, The Mosby Foundation, and an animal rescue group all pitched in to give this wonderfully sweet dog a second chance.

And he has it. Sam was released to a German Shepherd rescue group in North Carolina. He has been adopted and renamed Rex. He has a new life, new people to love and new days to look forward to.

All because Crystal wanted to teach her children kindness. And that's the right thing to do.